The present disclosure relates to electronic circuits and methods, and in particular, to circuits and methods for controlling the skin temperature of an electronic device.
Integrated circuits in handheld mobile devices are consumer ever increasing amounts of power. As mobile devices become more powerful, battery capacities must increase to give a consistent amount of run time. Power through the devices generates heat, and charging the devices at high current further increases this heat. In some cases the amount of heat generated by a mobile device can become uncomfortable or even dangerous for a user who may touch the surface of the device with bare skin. Many device manufacturers are setting thermal specifications that limit the case (or skin) temperature of these devices. However, meeting these thermal specifications without sacrificing performance is a growing challenge.
For example, it is sometimes desirable to provide customers with a fast battery charging solution that keeps the skin temperature of a cellular smart phone within thermal specifications. Accordingly, it is a challenge to accurately regulate the skin temperature of the phone to maximize charging performance.